Carnival’s exhaust gas cleaning technology installed on 60% of fleet

Carnival Corp. & plc has announced that it has successfully completed the installation and certification of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs) on 60 vessels across its brands.

To date, this represents US$400 million in investments. In the statement, the company added that it is on track to develop and deploy its systems on over 85 vessels across its global fleet through 2020.

"Due to the success we have had with improving air quality with our systems, we have expanded our commitment to install and deploy this technology from an original 32 vessels to over 85 through the end of 2020. This is part of our ongoing focus on evaluating new technologies, employing new shipbuilding techniques and implementing energy-saving initiatives throughout our fleet to protect the health and vitality of the oceans, seas and communities in which we operate."

Carnival claims that this programme is in line with a number of other steps being made by the company to decrease its carbon footprint. For instance, in 2015, AIDAsol (from the AIDA Cruises brand) became the world’s first cruise ship to be supplied with power from an LNG hybrid barge. In addition to this, in 2016, the AIDAprima became the world’s first cruise ship to regularly use LNG with a dual-fuel powered engine while in port. In the statement, the company claims that, by 2019, with the introduction of the first of seven fully LNG-powered vessels, it will be the first company in the world to use LNG to power cruise ships while they are in port and on the open sea.

Kaczmarek added: “With the International Maritime Organization, the Cruise Lines Industry Association and various government organisations all calling for improved efficiency in clean operations, we see the installation of exhaust cleaning systems and use of clean fuels as steps to future-proof our fleet.

"We are proud to be ahead of the curve in meeting the upcoming regulations and guidelines."